JULY 2: The Celtics have re-signed Kornet, the team announced in a press release. Since free agent contracts worth more than the minimum can’t be finalized during the July moratorium, this is official confirmation that Kornet’s deal is a minimum-salary contract.
“Luke has been an integral part of our team over the past few years,” president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in a statement. “He is the ultimate teammate and his attitude and spirit have a contagious effect on our team. On the court, Luke had his best season as a Celtic and played a big role in helping us win. We are excited about the impact he’ll have moving forward.”
JUNE 30: The Celtics have reached an agreement with Luke Kornet on a one-year contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Terms of the deal weren’t released, but given Boston’s financial restrictions, it’s almost certainly another veteran’s minimum contract. With seven years of NBA experience, Kornet is projected to make $2.8MM next season.
The 28-year-old center has played an important role off the Celtics’ bench over the past two seasons and saw regular rotation minutes throughout this year’s championship run. He appeared in 63 games during the regular season, making seven starts and averaging 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per night.
Re-signing Kornet became a bigger priority after the announcement that Kristaps Porzingis will be sidelined five-to-six months after surgery, which means he’ll miss the start of next season. The team doesn’t want to overwork 38-year-old center Al Horford, so it needs productive big men off its bench.
Kornet began his NBA career with New York in 2017 and spent time with Chicago, Cleveland and Milwaukee before coming to Boston. He will be an unrestricted free agent again next summer.